It is extremely important to speed up process of establishing special tribunal for Russian aggression, — Dutch Prime Minister Jetten
Prime Minister Rob Jetten of the Netherlands emphasized the importance of accelerating the process of establishing a special tribunal for the crime of aggression committed by the Russian Federation.
According to Censor.NET, he said this in an interview with "European Truth."
The preparatory group is already working
He noted that the preparatory group is already working and "delving into the details of establishing a tribunal."
"Indeed, it is extremely important that we accelerate this process. This is precisely what I discussed with President Zelenskyy today. We talked about what the Netherlands can do to help us move forward on this very important issue," said Jetten.
In addition, he noted that he had spoken with former prisoners of war and abducted children who had already returned to Ukraine.
"It is their stories and their suffering that underscore the importance of bringing to justice all those war criminals who are responsible for this," the Dutch prime minister stressed.
It is important to involve other states
Regarding Ukraine's call to complete the organizational preparations for the Special Tribunal on the crime of aggression by the Russian Federation this year, Etten stressed that it is important to work out in more detail how the tribunal could function and what would be the best location for it in the Netherlands.
According to him, it is important to ensure the participation of other Council of Europe member states in this tribunal. This will allow it to begin its work as soon as possible.
What preceded it?
Earlier, Deputy Head of the Office of the President Iryna Mudra announced that Ukraine, together with its partners, plans to begin practical work in 2026 on launching a special tribunal in the Netherlands to prosecute Russia for the crime of aggression.
Special tribunal on Russia's crimes
- On March 21, 2025, at the final meeting in Strasbourg, work was completed on key legal documents for the creation of a Special Tribunal for Russian war crimes.
- In April, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas announced that the European Union had completed technical negotiations on the creation of a special tribunal to punish Russia for its crime of aggression against Ukraine.
- Deputy Head of the Office of the President Iryna Mudra noted in May that the Special Tribunal on Russia's crime of aggression against Ukraine could begin work as early as next year.
- At its meeting in June, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe adopted key documents necessary for the establishment of a Special Tribunal to investigate crimes of aggression against Ukraine.
- On June 25, 2025, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset signed an agreement to establish a Special Tribunal to investigate the crime of aggression against Ukraine.
- The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that it would not recognize the Special Tribunal on Russia's crime of aggression against Ukraine and warned third countries against joining it.
- On July 1, 2025, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed documents to ratify the Agreement on the Establishment of a Special Tribunal for Russia's Crime of Aggression against Ukraine.
- On July 15, 2025, the Verkhovna Rada ratified an agreement with the Council of Europe on the establishment of a special tribunal to investigate Russia's crime of aggression against Ukraine.
